How are fats excreted from the body. What do we lose when we lose weight - fat, muscle or just water? The lungs are the main fat-extracting organ

This was shown by a survey by the British Medical Journal (“British Medical Journal”) among doctors, nutritionists and fitness trainers. It is one of the most popular scientific medical journals in the world. Here are the most common answers:

1) fat is converted into energy,

2) fat is excreted in faeces,

3) fat turns into muscle,

4) fat is excreted with sweat and urine.

Where does he really go?

The transformation into energy is similar to the truth, because when fat is burned, heat is released. But where do the carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen go, the building blocks that fat is made of?

The feces version doesn't just smell bad. Its supporters do not know the basics of physiology; practically nothing is released from the blood back into the intestines. And if fats again entered the intestinal lumen, this would lead to embarrassment - stool incontinence. This happens when taking drugs that block the absorption of fats.

If fat turned into muscle, it would be a bodybuilders dream. But muscle is a protein that must contain nitrogen, and some amino acids also contain sulfur. Fats do not contain these elements. Unfortunately, burning fat and building muscle mass are two different processes.

The version that fat is excreted with sweat seems likely and illustrative. After all, driving overweight, we sweat a lot, but through the sweat glands, water and salts mainly come out - and never fats.

Secret knowledge

So what really happens to fat when we lose weight? Talks about it psychoendocrinologist and president of the Russian Diabetes Association Mikhail Bogomolov: “The mechanism of destruction of fats is universal. At the first stage, each fat molecule under the action of enzymes breaks down into two components - into 3 molecules of fatty acids and 1 molecule of glycerol. They leave the fat cells in the blood and are carried throughout the body, getting into different cells. But just like that, fatty acids cannot burn, they must get into the mitochondria - these are the CHP of cells in which energy is produced. They burn fatty acids. The word "combustion" is appropriate because, as with any combustion process, the fuel is oxidized to carbon dioxide and water. Fatty acids, and at the same time glycerol, acting as a fuel, must also decompose to these substances under the action of oxygen. But there are differences. Combustion is very fast, and the oxidation of fatty acids is slow - without fire and in stages, with the release of small amounts of energy.

It is important to emphasize that this oxidation requires very, very a large number oxygen ( see infographic). Therefore, when a person loses weight, it is important not only to eat little, but also to move a lot. Only physical activity can provide an influx of oxygen sufficient for the normal process of burning fat.

Unfortunately, this happens infrequently, so a significant part of the fatty acids does not burn completely. They form the so-called ketone bodies. This is a whole group of different substances that cause acidification (acidosis) in the body. When there are a lot of them, dizziness, nausea and even vomiting appear. Doctors know that this happens with rapid weight loss, so they recommend alkaline supplements in such situations. mineral water, vitamins of groups B and E. The need for the latter is greatly increased, and it can be taken up to 800 mg per day, it is necessary to protect against free radicals, which are formed in excess during oxidation. Therefore, the process of losing extra pounds is always accompanied by strong oxidative stress, and in order to weaken its destructive effect on mitochondria, you need a lot of vitamin E.

What happens to ketone bodies? They enter the bloodstream and are excreted through the kidneys or skin, giving the urine and sweat the smell of acetone, or through the lungs, bringing the aromas of rotten apples into the exhaled air. That is, some of the fat residues are excreted in these ways. And the fate of the rest of the end products of the breakdown of fats, I think, is already clear to many. It's water and carbon dioxide. Who does not know that this gas is released through the lungs during breathing, exchanging for oxygen. The water resulting from the breakdown of fats mixes with body water and participates in a host of biochemical reactions. All of these occur in the presence of water, and the excess is excreted in urine, sweat, and through the lungs as water vapour.

These are the ways fat leaves the body during weight loss, and the intestines have nothing to do with it. Fat also does not turn into muscles, but muscles play a big role in its combustion. After all, muscle cells have the most mitochondria, and most of the fatty acids break down in them.”

Fat cells (adipocytes) are the main custodians of fat in the body and one of the most unusual cells. Their number throughout life is unchanged - they are all laid down at birth. Only the fat content in them changes. With a large excess of weight, they turn into huge balls pumped with fat. And the nucleus and other organelles are pressed from the inside to the cell membrane. When a person loses weight, they seem to be blown away. And for those who periodically diet, and then allow themselves too much, these cycles are repeated many times.

Where does fat go when a person loses weight? Some people think that it comes to the surface of the skin with sweat, so they train in cling film and belts with a sauna effect. Others believe that fat turns into muscle. But it turned out that the fate of fat is poorly imagined not only by simple people who are losing weight, but also by therapists, nutritionists and fitness trainers. Professor Andrew J Brown and scientist Ruben Meerman surveyed a total of 150 members of these professions and published the results in the British Medical Journal.

Despite the growing interest in the topic of losing weight, not everyone still understands what happens to fat. If you remove the most mythological answers, more than half of the experts from each group - nutritionists, therapists and fitness trainers - answered that fat is converted into energy, although this violates the law of conservation of mass of matter. The authors suggested that this is the result of the well-known mantra "To lose weight, you need to spend more energy than you consume." This result showed large gaps in school education.

In 1748, Lomonosov substantiated the law of conservation of the mass of matter, which reads as follows: "The weight of all substances entering into a reaction is equal to the weight of all reaction products." Mass cannot disappear into nowhere and turn into energy. How much mass was at the entrance, so much remains at the exit.

When we eat more than normal, excess carbohydrates and proteins are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells. Excess fat in food does not need any transformations and is also stored in adipocytes. A fatty acid molecule is made up of carbon atoms. WITH, hydrogen - H and oxygen - ABOUT, and its formula looks like this: C 55 H 104 O 6. To burn fat, it needs oxygen.

When fat is burned, it is oxidized and reacts with oxygen. The same thing, with minor amendments, occurs when burning wood, paper, and in general about any organic compounds. In the case of wood heat needed for oxygen to start reacting with wood molecules. In a living cell, it is impossible to bring a match to a molecule, so special proteins catalyze oxidation, but the principle is the same.

Alexandra Bruter, employee of the Institute molecular biology RAS

The process of oxidation of a single fat molecule consists of many complex steps under the action of oxidative enzymes, but in general, it looks like this:

C 55 H 104 O 6 + 78O 2 → 55CO 2 + 52H 2 O + energy

All this chemistry, which is difficult for an ordinary person, only says the following: Under the action of oxygen, the fat molecule decomposes into carbon dioxide and water with the release of energy. Fat is not converted into energy. Energy is stored in chemical bonds between atoms in a molecule. When the molecule breaks apart, the energy that held the atoms together is released. It is used by the body.

The released atoms combine with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and water. This is where the fat is converted. Carbon dioxide leaves the body with respiration, water leaves the body with urine, sweat, and also through respiration. Thus, most of the former fat is excreted through the lungs. In a sense, the lungs are the main fat-removing organ.

To lose weight by 10 kg of fat, you need to inhale 29 kg of oxygen, exhale 28 kg of carbon dioxide and remove from the body different ways 11 liters of water.

Do I need to breathe more to lose weight?

The conclusion that suggests itself: if oxygen is needed to lose weight, do you need to breathe more / deeper / more often in order to lose weight faster? There are even respiratory-weight loss training methods that promise to lose weight as soon as possible - the famous body flex, for example.

In reality, it doesn't work that way. Energy from fat is taken exactly in the amount that the body needs, that is, according to needs. Oxygen is one of the conditions for burning fat, but it is not the trigger for its extraction from fat cells. And the process of losing weight begins precisely with this: fat must first be removed from the cells, and hormones are responsible for this. The signal is given to them by the central nervous system who sees a lack of energy. Increased breathing only leads to hyperventilation, dizziness, palpitations, and sometimes fainting.

conclusions

Fat does not come to the surface of the skin with sweat, so classes in cling film and a sauna suit. Fat, there is no such mechanism in the body.

But fat does not turn into energy either - this violates the law of conservation of mass of matter. Energy is stored in chemical bonds between atoms in a molecule. When the molecule breaks apart, the energy that held the atoms together is released. It is used by the body. The released atoms combine with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and water. It is in them that fat is converted and removed from the body.

Constantly thousands of people are trying to lose weight, everyone adheres to certain rules, principles, schemes and methods of losing weight, and the results are minimal, and the goal remains a desirable dream.
Below will be shown the main mistakes in losing weight and burning body fat, adhering to them, be sure to get positive results.

1. To determine the weight, you only need to know your height

The generally accepted rule is growth - 100 = normal weight+ - 5 kg. For example, a person with a height of 180 cm - 100 \u003d 80 kg or 75 - 85 kg. This is an average figure that does not take into account the size of the bone, the weight of the internal organs, the amount of muscle mass, the degree of distension of the stomach.

In addition, also focus on the waist circumference: for women, the limit is 75 cm, for men - 90 cm, if the waist is more than the specified parameters, you need to lose weight. Also remember that the presence of 1 kg. fat deposits on the abdomen, increases the load on the lower back by 5-7 times.

Now you know that, for example, with a height of 180 cm and a weight of 80 kg, with a waist of 97 cm, you need to lose weight and remove the extra 7 cm.

Therefore, a flat stomach is not only beauty, but also the health of the lumbar.

2. All fats must be eliminated

Do not think that only fats are to blame for the cause of excess weight, fast carbohydrates with high level, which dramatically raise the level of insulin in the body, quickly give off energy, as a result of which our body takes, for example, 40% to ensure the vital activity of the body, and debugs the rest of the energy reserve into subcutaneous fat.

Be sure to eat vegetable fats - tuna, salmon, salmon, hake - they contain omega fatty acids - 3, 6 and 9, which fight fat deposits by actively breaking them down. Instead of mayonnaise and sunflower oil, use.

That's why important rule there is an exception to the diet of animal fats - pork, chicken skin, lamb, sauces with a high% fat, sausages, as well as fast carbohydrates - flour products and sweets.

Of course, I would like to carelessly rejoice at every kilogram that has gone, but if you are new to losing weight, then it is better to rejoice later. And first think and figure out - is the fat gone?

IF...

• sit on a protein or low-carbohydrate diet (Kremlin, Atkins, Dukan, shuffling);
• walk around in pants or a belt with a “sauna effect”, actively visit steam rooms;
• drink slimming teas, go on a rice, salt-free or diet with a fair amount of coffee (more than 400 ml per day);
• take diet pills with caffeine, guarana, ginseng and other things that activate the work of the heart, blood vessels and thus the kidneys ...

...then only water can be lost.

OH! A weight loss rate of more than 1 kg per week is a sign of water loss. It is good if the experiment was short-term and more did not leak along with the liquid. After all, the skin suffers from dehydration - it loses its tone, becomes covered with wrinkles, peels off. Blood thickens, which worsens the nutrition of internal organs, including the brain, and we feel bad. The removal of toxins also slows down, which again responds to poor health, fat gain and “growth”. And the most annoying thing is that we take away the catalyst necessary for burning fat from the body. Without water, this reaction does not occur. Therefore, when losing weight, it is recommended to drink 1.5-2 liters of ordinary drinking, non-carbonated water per day.

Carbohydrates are stored in the body in a “wet” form. When carbohydrates run out, the water with which they were associated becomes unnecessary, and it "leaks". Therefore, carbohydrate-free diets give such a quick result - fluid is lost from them.

IF...

• starve;
• sit on a diet of 1200 kcal per day;
• stop moving;
• train hard in aerobic mode for more than 3-4 hours in a row ...

... then muscles are lost, and this is not considered weight loss!

OH! The skin becomes lethargic, the body becomes flabby, cellulite becomes more visible, hair becomes weak, nails become brittle. Immunity weakens, because its cells are built from proteins. There are not enough enzymes, and they are involved not only in digestion. Our body produces a lot of substances for its internal needs itself and just with the help of enzymes. The main trouble is that the metabolism slows down. Now getting rid of fat will be even more difficult. He burned in the muscle tissue, and it became less. For every kilogram of muscle lost, the metabolism slows down by an average of 10% from the existing one before losing weight. And we start accumulating fat just as much harder.

The more aerobics, the worse for weight loss. If training in aerobic mode lasts 3-4 hours, the body begins to lack glucose. But he's smart! He knows how to produce it from amino acids! And he takes and disassembles the protein of muscle tissue into amino acids. This is how muscle is lost due to aerobic “marathons”.

IF...

• eat right (fractionally, low-fat food, avoiding sweets);
• every day (exactly every day, not once a week) move a lot;
• be in a good mood, avoid negativity…

... then you will only lose fat!

HOORAY! Skin, hair, nails in a pre-weight loss state. Our muscles remain with us, and even an untrained woman should have about 30% of them. All systems and organs of the body work great, we feel great! The new weight achieved will be easier to maintain.

You can actually get rid of a maximum of 150 g of fat per day. Standard, good result - 1 kg per week. A large weight loss gives rise to doubts: maybe water and muscles are leaving?

With improper weight loss, the weight goes away, but the volumes remain. When correct, they are bound to decrease. Focus always on this sign!

Evgeny BELYANUSHKIN, sports doctor, nutritionist; Tatiana MININA

Wanting to lose weight, a person wants to get rid of excess fat. However, if a person does this incorrectly, then along with fats, he loses muscle mass, or only gets rid of it. To lose weight correctly, you need to understand how fat is burned in the body, and through what processes this happens.

Process one. Release of fat from fat cells

Fat is located in fat cells, the amount of which in a person does not change regardless of the amount of fat. That is, losing weight, we do not get rid of fat cells, but of the fat in them. The more it is in the cells, the greater their size and weight. Fat cells tend to stretch a lot.

Recently, scientists have shown that the number of fat cells throughout life can change, but this change is insignificant.

The first thing that happens when fat leaves the body is its release. To do this, you need to create an energy deficit in the body. Then special hormones and enzymes are released into the bloodstream, transported through the bloodstream to fat cells and releasing fat from them.

To create an energy deficit, without which fat in the human body does not burn, you need to spend more energy than you consume. For this, dietary restrictions and physical activity are used.

Second process. Transporting fat to muscles and burning it

After being released from fat cells, the fat, along with the blood, is transformed into muscle. Reaching the muscle, it must burn out in the mitochondria, which are the so-called "power plants" of a person. And it needs enzymes and oxygen to burn fat. If there are not enough of them in the body, fat will not be able to be transformed into energy, and will again be deposited in the body.

That is, for the breakdown of fats in the human body, they need to be released from fat cells through enzymes and hormones. After they are transported to the muscle and burned by reaction with oxygen and enzymes.

It is this process of splitting fats that is natural weight loss. Therefore, in order for it to be correct, the body needs physical activity, accompanied by the consumption of a large amount of oxygen, and at the same time the presence of all the enzymes necessary for burning fat. This requires proper nutrition with a sufficient amount of protein food, since it contains enzymes to a greater extent.

Features of the process of burning fat in the body

There are two main sources of energy in the body - glycogen and fat. Glycogen is a more powerful source and is easier to turn into energy than fat. Therefore, the body first tries to burn it, and only then comes the turn to fat.

Hence, it is important that the training lasts not less than an hour, because otherwise the body, burning glycogen, may not reach fat.

Physical activity with high oxygen consumption - aerobic exercise, that is, running, cycling, swimming, and so on. It is these types of loads that contribute to the active burning of fat, so if you want to lose weight, focus on them, and not on strength training. Strength exercises, of course, will help to train the muscles, but under a layer of fat they simply will not be visible.

Ideally, a combination of aerobic and strength training is recommended., since running or cycling alone will not help to get the desired result - the body tends to adapt to monotonous loads. It is thanks to the alternation of loads that you can achieve the desired result. Moreover, the more muscles in the body, the more actively fats are burned, so proper weight loss should include strength training.

If to speak plain language, then fat breaks down into carbon dioxide and water, and at the same time energy is released. Carbon dioxide is excreted through the lungs, water is excreted in urine and sweat, and the body uses energy to work. This is the answer to the question of where does fat go when a person loses weight.

And one more thing that misleads many people. Fat is a source of energy, and it is distributed throughout the body evenly. Can't burn it in just one area- on the stomach or legs. Therefore, when losing weight, the whole body loses weight, and in the future, problem areas can be corrected with strength exercises.

You also need to take into account that each person has genetic characteristics, due to which fat in specific areas can leave him better than in others.

How fat is deposited in the body

You also need to understand how fat is formed in the human body. The presence of fatty deposits on the human body - normal rate defensive reaction of the body, more precisely, the natural mechanism of survival. In ancient times, it was thanks to fat that a person could survive in severe cold. Today, there is no longer such a need, but fat still accumulates. How does it happen.

First of all, carbohydrates, especially simple sugars, are transformed into fat cells. Of course, like other substances, they are needed by the body. They are deposited in the muscles, and this becomes the main source of energy for strength work, and for any load in principle. But maximum amount, which can accumulate in the muscles is 60-90 grams of carbohydrates, and another 70-80 grams can be deposited in the liver. There are no other places to store them in the body. Therefore, when carbohydrates are consumed in excess of the norm, they are transformed into body fat and "settle" on the abdomen, thighs, legs and other parts of the body.

Another point - fat can be scooped directly from fat. Body fats are also necessary, especially for women, to maintain the hormonal, reproductive and cardiovascular systems. However, a gram of pure fat contains about 9 kcal, respectively, 100 grams of it - 900 kcal, and this is not so far from the daily calorie intake of a person who wants to lose weight. Calories from fat are deposited by the body easier and faster than those from carbohydrates, since fat is difficult to break down, and as an energy source it is spent last.

Where and how is fat stored in the body? Many people think that it is deposited only under the skin, since these deposits can be seen with the naked eye. Most of it really accumulates here, but dermal fat is not only directly under the skin, but also inside, enveloping internal organs what is needed to protect them. This fat is called visceral or abdominal fat., since the most important organs are located in the areas of the abdomen or sternum. But if the amount of subcutaneous fat exceeds the norm, it is fraught with obesity, disorders in the functioning of the cardiovascular system and the ensuing numerous negative consequences.

Features of proper fat burning

Subcutaneous fat disappears quickly enough. But visceral fat is burned more difficult and slower. But it is very important to fight with its excess to maintain the normal functioning of the body and all its systems.

First of all, proper nutrition is important. since fat is burned with a lack of energy. You need to start by counting calories. You can eat fully, using all the necessary substances, however, reduce calories to 1500-1800 kcal per day for women, and 2000-2300 kcal for men. First of all, of course, it is important to cut the amount of fatty foods in the diet. Sources of fats should be useful: sea ​​fish, vegetable oils, nuts. It is also important to limit simple carbohydrates such as sugar, sweets, pastries, sugary waters. Sources of carbohydrates should be healthy - cereals, fruits and vegetables, whole grain bread.

Very important for proper fat burning training, namely aerobic exercise. It is they who provide the best supply of oxygen to the body, and it is he who is the main assistant in burning fat. And do not forget that cardio workouts should last at least 30-40 minutes so that the body uses up glycogen and has time to get to fats.

In fact, any exercise will be effective for burning fat, and you can choose the ones that you like best. How much you burn will be determined by training intensity, fitness, age - the older the person, the longer the storage systems work, muscle mass. The frequency of training is also important.

If we are talking about cardio training, then you can add to them such effective exercises, like running in place with a high knee lift, jumping with leg and arm swings, burpees and others.

Even exercises like squats and push-ups can be done in cardio mode if done at a brisk pace. You can do a certain amount per approach or do it for a while, each time improving your results. This is how you turn your workout into high-intensity interval training.

Regardless of the circumstances, you need to give your best. The more and more actively you work, the more energy is consumed. But the whole process of fat burning, in fact, comes down to the ratio of energy received and spent. If you eat right, you will get results as quickly as possible.

Another option for burning fat is running. Also remember that strong muscles cause the body to expend more energy, so strength training is also needed. It is important to alternate the load and make the workouts varied so that the body does not get used to the monotony.

Knowing how the process of splitting and burning fat takes place, you can achieve better results. Remember that the most important thing is to exercise regularly and eat in moderation so that the body does not receive excesses that it hasten to store in fat.

About body fat on video